Mexico’s battle against drug gangs has been dealt a serious blow with the death in a plane crash of the Interior Minister and Deputy Attorney-General.

Juan Camilo Mouriño, 37, the minister who has led the war against drug cartels, and the security adviser José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos, died when their government Learjet crashed near Mexico City’s main avenue. Miguel Monterrubio, a government spokesman, was also killed.

The blazing wrecks of dozens of cars littered the crash site and a huge plume of smoke loomed over the city.

Nelly Cabrera, a witness, said: “It was horrible. I saw an enormous column of black smoke and I heard three explosions.” As the death toll rose to 14 – including three members of the crew and other government officials – investigators were trying to piece together what brought down the plane. Three British experts from the Civil Aviation Authority arrived in Mexico City last night to help with the investigation.

Forty people were injured in the crash, and 20 were taken to hospital with burns. Seven were in intensive care.

Rejecting the possibility of an assassination plot by drug barons, Luis Téllez, the Transport Minister, said: “There have been no signs that permit another hypothesis than an accident.” He said that there was no explosion in midair, but added that investigators would explore all possibilities. Officials said that no distress call had been received from the crew.

Felipe Calderón, the Mexican President, said of Mr Mouriño: “With his death, Mexico has lost a great Mexican, intelligent, loyal and committed to his ideals and his country.” The administration would “find out the causes of this tragedy”, he added.

Michael Chertoff, the US Secretary for Homeland Security, also paid tribute to Mr Mouriño, describing him as a “courageous and strong partner in the fight against dangerous criminal groups”.

Mr Calderón has deployed thousands of police and troops throughout Mexico in the fight against the drug gangs who are waging brutal turf wars that have claimed 4,200 lives in a year. The victims were chiefly gang members, police and soldiers.

In September a grenade was thrown at civilians celebrating a national holiday and Mexicans are being confronted by reports of new atrocities almost every day.

One of the youngest men to hold the post of Interior Minister, Mr Mouriño had been embroiled in scandal since taking office in January because of his family’s involvement with private contracts with Mexico’s state-owned oil company. Many Mexicans believe that the national oil company should remain beyond the clutches of private enterprise.

Mr Mouriño faced criticism as some felt that a “foreigner” should not occupy one of the top Cabinet posts. Born in Madrid and educated at university in Tampa, Florida, he took Mexican nationality when he was 18.

It had been rumoured that he was about to step down to stand for election as governor of the southern region of Campeche.

Mr Vasconcelos, who was formerly in charge of pursuing extraditions against drug traffickers, had been the target of at least one assassination attempt. US experts from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board arrived yesterday to help in the inquiry and British investigators were also expected.

Marcelo Ebrard, the Mayor of Mexico City, said that all those aboard the aircraft were killed and that more people may have died on the ground. About 1,800 people were moved from the area.

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